Celebrity chef announces closure of Michelin-starred restaurant after 56 years
Celebrity chef Michel Roux Jr has announced the sad closure of his two Michelin-starred restaurant in London after 56 years.
Le Gavroche, located in the upscale area of Mayfair, London, was opened in 1967 by French brothers Albert and Michel Roux Sr, with former MasterChef: The Professionals judge taking over the reigns from his father in 1991. The iconic eatery, which has won two coveted Michelin stars, is lauded by critics and regarded as an institution, and fans were devastated to discover it would be closed for good.
Michel Jr, who has hosted several BBC shows including Food & Drink and Michel Roux's French Country Cooking, took to Instagram to announce the sad news his ground-breaking restaurant would close its doors for the final time in January 2024. “It is with very mixed emotions that I announce the upcoming closure of Le Gavroche restaurant. After 56 years, we will close in January 2024, although ‘Le Gavroche’ name will continue to be a familiar presence in popups and other ventures,” he began.
Michel Roux Jr announced the closure of his iconic restaurant“This decision has not been made lightly. Le Gavroche means so much, not just to myself and the Roux family, but to the wider Gavroche team and you, our guests, who have become our family over so many years,” the 63-year-old explained. I have always felt that should Le Gavroche ever close, it must be on a high. Le Gavroche continues to be fully booked, week in, week out, but I have known for a while that I must make time for a better work/life balance, so I can spend more time with my family and on my other business ventures.”
He insisted he wasn’t retiring, and would be “writing more books and popping up on your TV screens”, and thanked everyone for their unwavering support throughout the years. “And to you, our guests. Our success is all down to you. I would like to extend a personal thank you to every single person that has dined with us. Your support means everything to us.,” Michel Jr shared.
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Her served as judge and presenter on MasterChef: The Professionals from 2009 to 2014 (BBC/Shine TV)Le Gavroche is regarded as one of the most prestigious restaurants in the world, with many other chefs, including Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White, working there early on in their careers. Many fans of Michel Jr were saddened to see the end of the iconic restaurant, and took to social media to pass on their condolences to the chef.
“This is heartbreaking. I can't afford to eat at La Gavroche but we need these restaurants to drive gastronomy forward,” one wrote on Twitter, as another paid tribute to Michel Jr’s incredible talent. “He came, he cooked, he conquered. Knowing exactly when to get out is the most elusive of things; - no one rings a bell to tell you you're at the very top of your game - well done Michel!”
“Wow. That will be the end of one of THE London dining institutions. What a shame,” another mourned, while others supported his decision to take a step back from the busy restaurant and focus on his family. Jay Rayner, who has appeared as a guest judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, said he was stunned by the news. “Very few emails make my eyebrows genuinely raise. This one did. I totally understand the thinking but, boy that really is the end of something, allowing for the fact the name will live on,” he tweeted.
Last month, Michel Jr hinted at problems at his iconic restaurant in an interview with The Observer, in which he said he was struggling to fill vacancies at La Gavroche due to Brexit, as it would cost him thousands to obtain the relevant work permits to employee workers from Europe. “I know for a fact that if freedom of movement was reinstated tomorrow, I could fill the 15 vacancies I need to reopen for lunch, probably within a week,” he explained.
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